MICROSOFT AND BEST BUY are in the doghouse after the Supreme Court rejected an appeal against the two from customers saying they were improperly charged for Microsoft's MSN Internet service, reports Reuters.

Disgruntled customers claimed in the lawsuit that employees of a Best Buy unit activated an MSN trial account without consent or knowledge from the users, after they bought certain products. Credit and debit card information was allegedly forwarded to the Vole, which was used to pay for the connection after the trial period had ended.

Apparently, bills were sent until customers got in touch with the Vole and requested to have the service cancelled.

However, Microsoft and Best Buy denied screwing anyone over in an illegal manner, hence an appeal to the Supreme Court. Their lawyers reckoned any rulings of a racketeering enterprise were wrong in that they needn't be more than the sum of the supposed racketeering acts. Also, says Reuters, they said that the law required the enterprise to be an organisation with a structure apart from the acts.

The high court turned its nose up at the companies, rejecting the appeal with no apparent comment. ޽µ